Alleged library offender to face additional charge

A 41-year-old Basehor man who'd already been charged with a misdemeanor for allegedly fondling himself at the Basehor Community Library earlier this month, was arrested by police Thursday and will face an additional charge for a similar incident.

On April 11 a woman reported to Basehor police that she witnessed the man acting inappropriately while at a computer inside the library. After an investigation, the man was arrested and charged in Basehor Municipal Court with one count of lewd and lascivious behavior.

Horner said police uncovered another alleged incident, this one occurring in March, by the same man at the library. Separate witnesses told police of the alleged incidents in March and April, the police chief said.

After consulting with the Leavenworth County District Attorney's Office, police arrested the man at 8:30 p.m. Thursday at his home inside a Basehor subdivision, located north of Leavenworth Road.

On Friday morning, Horner said the man would be charged in Leavenworth County District Court with a felony count of lewd and lascivious behavior and a misdemeanor count of lewd and lascivious behavior.

Prosecution of the original misdemeanor charge will be transferred to district court; the felony charge will also be argued in district court because the city's court system doesn't have jurisdiction to prosecute felonies.

The defendant's name is being withheld because of a policy of this newspaper not to name persons accused of sex crimes until they plead guilty or are convicted.

Following the allegations, library officials moved quickly to keep the man away from the library. After the initial report in April, library director Carla Kaiser banned the man from the library. Soon after, the Basehor Community Library Board of Trustees revoked the man's library privileges for life.

The library board consulted with their attorney and found that banning the man was within their province. Banning the man falls in line with library bylaws, specifically in a chapter regarding code of conduct. The section states:

"This code of conduct is intended to encourage behavior that supports the library's code of service in providing a safe, clean, organized and appropriate environment. Behavior becomes unacceptable when it interferes with this code of service, compromises the rights of others, causes damage to buildings or equipment, or causes injury to oneself or others. Those willing to modify unacceptable behavior are always welcome to stay. However, those unable to comply will be asked to leave or have library privileges revoked. If necessary, the authorities will be called."